Door latch mechanism



Jan. 19, 1937. o. MILLER DOOR LATCH MECHANISM 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 FiledApril 8, 1935 Jan. 19, 1937. D. MILLER DOOR LATCH, HE'CIIANISM FiledApril 8, 1935 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Fntented Jan. 19, 1937 2,068,063 noonLa'rcn MEUHANISM liliorr Miller, Detroit, Mich, assignor to Dorailompany, Toledo, Ohio, a corporation of Ohio Application April 8, i935,Serial'No. 15,280

3 illalms. (ill. sea-25a) This invention relates to door latchmechanisms, but more particularly to latches for reirigerator doors andthe like, and an object is to produce a new and improved latch mechanismof this character, which is simple in construction, inexpensive tomanufacture, has relatively few parts, and contains the features ofconstruction and design hereinafter described.

Other objects and advantages will hereinafter appear, and, for purposesof illustration, but not of limitation, embodiments of the invention areshown on the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure l is a sectional view of a latch mechanism mounted on the doorand body of a reirigerator;

Figure 2 is a side elevation of. the latch shown in Figure 1;

Figure 3 is an end view elevation of the latch shown in Figure 1;

Figure 4 is a sectional view of an alternate form of latch mechanism;

Figure 5 is a vertical sectional elevation on the line iii-5 of Figurel; and

Figure 6 is a front view in elevation of a porition of a refrigeratorshowing particularly the pedal means for retracting the latch member.

The illustrated embodiment of the invention shown in Figures 1 to 3comprises a refrigerator case or body it having a door ii. Extendinginside of the body it is a housing or well it having an open outer endit. Pivotally mounted on a pin it is a latching member it having aiurcated tail portion it disposed within the well it and a latch head llprojecting outside of. the well. Urging the latch member 05 to latchingposition is a helical coil spring it, which is disposed diagonallywithin the well and has one end disposed within a notch it in the well,and the opposite end bearing against the latching member in the regionof its pivotal mounting. It will be apparent that the tail portions itare adapted to abut against the adjacent side wall of the well forlimiting the swinging movement of the latching member in one direction.

Secured by a screw it to the free vertical edge of the door it is akeeper it having a flange t2v against which the head ii of the latchingmember is adapted to engage for holding the door in closed position, thekeeper engaging surface 23 of the latch hea'd being tapered so that theforce of the spring I8 urges the surface 23 against the keeper flange 22for camming the door into intimate engagement with the body portion.

Formed on opposite sides of the keeper are walls 24, and straddlingthese walls is a yoke portion 25 of an L-shaped handle 26, rivets 21extending through the outer portion to the yoke 25 and the adjacentwalls 2d of the keeper provide a pivotal mounting for the handle. Thehandle it has a shoulder 28, which abuts against the keeper it as shownin Figure 1, and is normally held in this position by a spring 29, oneend of which extends into a socket so formed in the handle 26 and theopposite end of which abuts against the keeper 2!. The spring 28 ismounted on a rivet it, which is spaced inwardly from the rivets or pins2i, and is secured at its ends in the side walls E l of the keeper.

Formed on the handle 26 adjacent the latch head ii is a curve abutmentsurface 32. The curved abutment surface and the surface on the endportion of the latch head iii are designed so that upon slight outwardmovement of the handle it away from the door ii, the latching member itis rocked in a counter clockwise direction (Figure 1) to move the latchsurface 23 away from the keeper flange 22, and thereby release the door.Upon closing the door the flange 22 engages the cam surface it of thelatch head to swing the same out of the way to allow the door to moveinwardly to such position that the surface 22 is engaged by the latchsurface 23.

In the form of the invention shown in Figure 4, the latchingmember i5 issimilarly pivoted in a well it. The latch it is ill-shaped incrosssection, and a spring it is wound about the pivotal mounting andhas one end bearing against a wall of the well it and the opposite endhearing against the inside of the latch member. The outer end of thelatch member it is turned inwardly, as indicated at it, to engage acurved keeper surface 35. Adjacent the surface 35 is an angular camsurface 35, which engages a latch member when the door is closed to camit out of the way.

The handle it is pivoted on a pin ti, and an abutment portion 38 on thehandle is adapted to engage the outer end of the latching member it androck it out of engagement with the keeper surface it. A spring itnormally holds the handle 26 against the keeper, which serves as anabutment for limiting the swingin movement of the handle in a directiontoward the door. It will be readily understood that this latch operatessimilar to the one above Release of the door may be. accomplished byswinging the handle 26 outwardlyv to move the latch member I5 away fromthe keeper, and upon slamming the door the cam surface 36 cams thelatching member l5 out of the way,

the spring l8 snapping the latching member into engagement with thekeeper surface ll.

To enable the latching member I! to be retracted by pedal means so thatthe door can be released by operation of a person's foot, a yoke 40surrounds the well l2 and has an oflset portion 4| in which one end of apin 42 is disposed. The pin 42 slides through a wall of the well I! andbears against the inner end of the latching member l5. It will beapparent that by downward movement of the yoke '40, the pin 42 is forcedinwardly by engagement of a cam surface 43 adjacent the offset portion4|. This operates to rock the latching member I! sufficiently to releasethe keeper, thereby to allow the door to open.

For actuating the yoke 4| a link 44 extends downwardly and is suitablyconnected to a pedal 45. The pedal 45 is in a convenient position to bedepressed by a person's foot, so that a person whose hands are filledwith dishes can open the refrigerator door without setting the dishesdown. A suitable spring 46 returns the yoke 40 to itsoriginal position,and the spring l8 returns the latching member iii to its formerposition, the pin 42 being returned by the action of the latching memberinto the offset portion 4| of the yoke.

It is to be understood that numerous changes in details of construction,arrangement and operation may be effected without departing from thespirit of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

What I claim as new and Letters Patent is:

1. A latch mechanism for securing a swinging door to a body comprising ahandle pivotaliy mounted on the door, a keeper on the door having atapered face and curved'latch engaging surface, a stop for said handle,spring means recessed within said keeper-'tcurge the handle toward saidstop, a latching member having a desire to secure by aoeaoos portionrecessed within the body and another portion extending outwardlytherefrom in position to engage said latching surface, spring meansurging said latching member toward and into engagement with saidlatching sin-face, and abutment means on the handle engageable with anend portion of said latching member for moving the same away therefrom.

2. Latch mechanism for securing a swinging door to a body comprising apivotally mounted handle provided with a recess adjacent its pivotalmounting, a keeper on the door juxtaposed to said recess, a stop forsaid handle, a spring recessed within said keeper to urge said handletowards said stop, a latching member having a portion recessed withinthe body and another portion extending outwardly therefrom to engagesaid keeper, spring means urging said latching member into engagementwith the keeper, and abutment means on said handle engageable with saidlatching member for moving same from engagement with said keeper.

3. Latch mechanism for securing a swinging door to a body comprising apivotally mounted handle provided with a recess adjacent its pivotalmounting, a keeper on the door juxtaposed to said recess, a stop forsaid handle, a spring recessed within said keeper to urge said handletowards said stop, a latching member having a portion recessed withinthe body and another portion extending outwardly therefrom to engagesaid keeper, spring means urging said latching member into engagementwith the keeper, an inclined surface on one of said keeper and latchingmembers and engageable by the other member to cause said latching memberto retract from latching position upon slamming of the door, andabutment means on said handle engageable with said latching member formoving same from engagement with said keeper.

DORR MILLER.

